Immaculate

Just a reminder, the NCAA proposal that allowed for football conference championship games was first passed in 1987. There weren't even major conferences with 12 teams at the time yet that is what was included in the rule. They created a rule to entice expansion. That expansion started in 1990 with Penn State and has continued to this day. Now we see the Membership Committee putting together a proposal for an Autonomy Subdivision in football to give to The Cabinet for vote. When that happens, there will once again be movement but it will happen much more quickly this time around.

Let's do it again.

A "life skills" university with 6,500 students, and on-campus steakhouse, and a $70,000 cost to attend is upending March Madness. The private school that shocked Wisconsin in the first round—and will now play Arkansas for a trip to the Sweet 16—is the talk of college basketball.

They are still reporting that its likely UNC will have a new head coach.

That new Big East network broadcasting deal is starting to pay off for them. About to see a lot more Big East in future post seasons.

They might be right. Pretty clear though that ESPN has been doing what they can to try and build up UNC perception and value despite UNC doing everything they can to thwart such attempts. I do think UNC is a demand by SEC. VT is such a good fit and they are doing a lot to improve their value.

@c_allen1229 @ImmaculateView I have been saying that Virginia Tech is a better SEC "fit" than Virginia. Better football history. Blacksburg goes crazy on game day. Now add Enter Sandman to the mix. They are a great fit. There are also some people who think that NC State is a better "fit" than UNC.

I wonder if I will get an apology as some back off of pushing UVA to the SEC story. Nah of course not because I never get anything right.

That is a really good question. I think there is a considerable chance that they would be pushed out in some manner. I think NC St and VT will go to the SEC but that does leave Louisville in a spot. I think they might feel some pressure to go and probably to the Big 12. With the new payout system that the ACC has, it now becomes a threat to be told that your games wont get broadcasted more than what is contractually necessary. Payouts in the ACC are directly related to overall television ratings now. That means the number of times you get on ESPN will make a difference in how much you get paid. So to the point, they might actually get paid more in the Big 12 than in the ACC should the ACC work out a schedule for them that puts their good match ups on weekends where there are better match ups for ESPN to take instead.

@ImmaculateView @DarikHanback Would Louisville, NC State or VT be forced out if the SEC and/or B1G don’t take them? Obviously the BIG12 is the landing spot, but how do they get there? Volunteer or Voluntold? And who joins? Tulane and Rice as privates? How do you feel about UCONN and/or USF? Would Miami stay?

So you might see a sports media person starting to talk badly about the effects of conference realignment. There may even be some truth to it. There is a reason for it though, if the conferences have more realignment of their own volition and decision making then that's just further away from the Private Equity Hedge Fund League folks that have bought and paid for some voices out there. Make no mistake though, after The Cabinet starts passing those big new rules there will be realignment.

@Bill_CFB_Guy Jump into this conversation with us. x.com/c_allen1229/st…

@ImmaculateView Care to explain?

@JeffreyTheGreek @METAVERZUZ I think you cant go wrong with Janet, Mary J or Lauryn Hill.

@METAVERZUZ Janet. But I’m listening to Whitney before I board.

Who are you choosing?

They told us they were when they told us about the potential scheduling arrangement between the two of them. When these people talk, its not like they just stick to one subject and do not veer off into anything else. They are human beings. They just choose what to share of those talks and what to keep to themselves. In my opinion, this would have been the main reason for even having those talks in the first place. It starts with UF vs FSU and UGA vs GT. You go from there.

@ImmaculateView Ah! Almost as if they're working together...ish... 🤔

Yes for all the regular reasons but also because its part of the key between the SEC and B1G. The brand that the SEC would want to build in the coming future is the Georgia vs Florida brand. Its that relationship and the dynamic of it when we move to four divisions per conference. They want that to be a season ending game instead of having the loser of it in midseason get sidetracked by a big loss at that time. For that to happen, FSU and GT need to be out of the ACC and not in the SEC. Only one answer.

@ImmaculateView Still thinking Georgia Tech to the B1G? Feels like a natural, easy fit. Mutually beneficial.

Same as I have said for awhile now. First two that the SEC take will be UNC and Clemson. Then the B1G will take their two. Then the SEC will take their last two. Maybe they get full pay for those two or maybe they have to cut a deal for the first time ever where an SEC member doesnt get full pay. I think they will get it. I think those two will be NC State and VT. The Mid Atlantic will be SEC territory.

@ImmaculateView That's probably better for the brand anyway. Va Tech and UNC feel like SEC schools. Maybe they'll get grab NC St and one more so they and the B1G end up at 20... 🤣🤷‍♂️

When it comes to having a collection of basketball brands in it, hands down the winner has to be the East Bracket right now. You have the two main Big East brands with UConn and St Johns. You have Duke and Louisville out of the ACC You have Michigan State and UCLA out of the B1G Last but certainly not least, you have Kansas out of the Big 12. Quite the line up of basketball brands to have in a single bracket at this point.

Nope, they dont need to. They get to keep the tight geographic footprint that everyone truly wants. The B1G kind of had to go National. The SEC doesn't. The B1G will have bigger money behind it going forward but the SEC expanding up the Mid Atlantic is going to bring a lot of money in.

@ImmaculateView Ahh, I see. Do you ever see the SEC trying to go national to compete with the B1G? Or at this point, would it even matter?

Nice to see Nebraska finally doing their job.

@Bill_CFB_Guy Nope, FSU isnt going.

@ImmaculateView True but ESPN wants certain schools in as part of the deal to pay the SEC for the 9th conference game & pay more $$$ per conference game. Clemson, FSU & UNC are pretty much in. The only real question is who will Team #4 be??

Sure they do. They are capable of thinking strategically, especially when those brands that want to build back up are chirping in the commissioner's ear constantly about it. Just adding teams doesnt add viewership to the SEC. They show a certain number of games and those games regularly get high ratings already. The metrics on this have changed.

@ImmaculateView The SEC doesn't think that way. That should be obvious by now. ESPN does want some more viewership. They will get that. The other 2 spots are essentially based upon potential. That can be tricky.

Well in their favor, I wouldnt be surprised if SEC Presidents felt pressure from some of their academia to add a school like Virginia in order to boost their own academic prestige via proximity. So there will be some folks that push such a narrative in order to try and make it happen. In the end though, there is something else brewing that fits Virginia better. Plus on a down season, the Virginia stadium is a black hole. They cant use that for live broadcasts unless UVA is doing well in a season. How much would the Networks be willing to bet on that happening in the future if they are in the SEC? Even if its possible, its not a good bet. There is another school in the same State that regularly fills their stadium that is much better for broadcast television camera angles. They fill even with madly disappointing seasons. Thus its not a black hole for the broadcasting side. So that also helps with building their existing brands.

@ImmaculateView Regarding the SEC: Seriously, Why would they settle for UVA? Is that really the best they can do?

The SEC doesnt really need money makers. They actually need to think strategically. They now have some brands that they already own but need to think more about helping to maximize the value of those brands. Individual brands within a conference also go up and down in value like stocks. Its not just about what value a new addition brings. Its about what value they can add or boost for the brands that you already own. This isnt the same as expanding at 10 or expanding at 12. This is a different beast.

@ImmaculateView I don't think Virginia fits the bill. Football drives this & there is an SEC mentality to pick what feels right. The only 2 serious money makers available are Clemson & FSU. Both should end up in the SEC. They don't want Miami. Too much bad blood but you never really know.

I have adamantly said that they would want to be part of what the Elite Privates are building. Virginia is enough like them to be kept around and they can act like a public shield from the NLRB should that ever become a problem again. Virginia and California. Maybe Pitt. That has been my stance for awhile now.

@ImmaculateView Do you think they are more likely to stay in the ACC or join the Big10?